09/17/2009

Church attacks 'sinner' Elton John

Elton John has been branded a 'sinner' by the Orthodox Church in Ukraine. Photo / AP

Sir Elton John has been branded a "sinner" by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

The
pop legend – who has been told he can't adopt a 14-month-old boy from
the country because he is homosexual and too old – has been blasted by
the religious group who have "thanked God" he won't be allowed to care
for the tot.

Spokesman Father Georgy Gulyaev of the Donetsk Diocese of the Orthodox Church is quoted by Britain's Daily Mail
newspaper as saying: "Thank God it's impossible under Ukrainian law for
Elton John to adopt a child. It's written in Holy Scriptures that
homosexual marriage and relations is a sin.

"It is a sin, it is against nature, and it represents the dead end of human development.

"People
pretend to have good intentions, create semi-marriages and so-called
families, and moreover they dare to adopt children. Unlike people who
are blessed by God to create natural families, these are people who
succumb to their passions.

This is definitely a sin, there is
no other word for it, and the church will never agree that people who
have created same-sex 'marriage' could also dare to adopt children.

"This applies to all, including Elton John. He is a sinner."

The
62-year-old singer – who married his long-term partner David Furnish in
a civil ceremony in 2005 – admitted his heart had been "stolen" by Lev
when he met him at an orphanage in Makeyevka at the weekend.

This
news comes shortly after Ukraine's Family, Youth and Sports Minister
Yuriy Pavlenko revealed there had been no official adoption request
made by the celebrity couple.

Under Ukrainian law, adoptive
parents must be no more than 45 years older than an adopted child -
Elton is more than 60 years older than Lev.

Same-sex couples are
also forbidden from adopting because homosexual marriages are not
recognised in the Eastern European country.

The matter is further
complicated by the fact the Lev's mother – who is HIV positive - has
not relinquished her parental rights, meaning the child is not
officially up for adoption.